Page:The Next Naval War - Eardley-Wilmot - 1894.djvu/39

 endeavour to destroy any vessels that might be in the roads or up the harbour. They had been in commission for some time and all on board were thoroughly trained. The plan was to leave Cherbourg at sundown, proceed along the coast to prevent being observed by our cruisers or vedettes, and then dash across the Channel. A commander was in charge of each expedition, on board one of the new 150-feet boats which had attained to a speed of 28 knots. Most of the boats carried two torpedo tubes, one of which could be pointed on either side or both on the same side.

Not all the boats were so provided. In each squadron two carried machine guns only, their mission being to engage the attention of any guard boats encountered, while the others were to push on without stopping until the main object of the operations had been effected. The plan of the Portsmouth attack was for the squadron to make for St. Alban's Head, then turn to the eastward and proceed at moderate speed towards the Needles. When some way off that end of the Isle of Wight a couple of boats were to be detached and make a feint as of forcing that entrance, while the remainder went on to the other approach. It was calculated that all attention being directed to the eastern channel the main assault had a good chance of passing the forts and getting up the harbour. There was another reason for this arrangement, which was a possibility of coming C